Isle of MTV summer festival in Malta

Spanish heartthrob Enrique Iglesias is set to get a crowd of 20,000 people swinging and swaying on the Floriana granaries on July 26 as Isle of MTV's summer music festival kicks off.

Malta fended off competition from countries like Croatia to host the music celebration, which will feature performances by Senegalese R&B singer Akon and pop-rock band Maroon 5.

Malta's own pop star Ira Losco will complete the line-up, together with other local artists and DJs Tony Toni, Pierre Cordina, Ruby, Miss Roberta, Joseph Armani and J Joy.

G7 Events and the Tourism Ministry have teamed up together with MTV Networks International to host one of the coolest, most eclectic outdoor live music events, which will be free to the public.

Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said the government was forking out €700,000, which includes €300,000 that will be tied to advertising Malta on MTV stations across Europe.

These funds, over and above funds allocated to the Malta Tourism Authority, were intended to give a crisp, modern image of Malta among the young generation.

It had been agreed that Malta will be plugged during the different seasons, including weaker shoulder months.

In the meantime, the Isle of MTV Malta Special is already being publicised on MTV as the summer's hottest European music festival, with the Floriana granaries as a backdrop.

G7 events director Owen Spiteri said on the actual day MTV cameras will capture all the action to be broadcast in an hour-long special to MTV's 166 million homes in Europe in September.

"With a bit of charm and good relations we managed to persuade MTV to host its popular Isle of MTV festival in Malta," Mr Spiteri said.

This is the fifth time this festival is being organised - it was previously held in Lisbon, Portugal; the South of France; Costa Brava, Spain; and Trieste, Italy.

Mr Spiteri said MTV was running much of the show and a crew of 70 people would be in Malta, while the logistics of bars and transport would be in Maltese hands.

MTV chose to feature Enrique Iglesias, Maroon 5 and Akon because they are expected to be this summer's biggest hits.

Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning artist, Enrique Iglesias, has enjoyed a monumental return to the world stage, after he spent a three-year hiatus crafting his latest album Insomniac, due for worldwide release this month.

Capturing their first of two Grammys as Best New Artist and going on to sell more than 10 million albums worldwide, Maroon 5 won plaudits with the hybrid rock/R&B and are now back with brand new music for the first time in five years.

Akon made an explosive return to the international music scene last year with his latest album Konvicted, the poignant follow-up to his debut album Trouble.

The Isle of MTV Malta Special will start at 7 p.m.

www.isleofmtv.com www.g7events.com